英国文学史及作品选读课件-Lecture-5

Lecture5The18thCentury:JonathanSwiftEnglishLiteratureTeachingObjectivesandRequirements1Helpthestudentsknowsomeinformationaboutthe18thcentury.2MakethestudentshaveagoodunderstandingofJonathanSwift.3MakesurethestudentshaveabetterunderstandingofGulliver’sTravels.Contents1Briefintroductionofthe18thcentury2JonathanSwift(1667-1745)1.1Thehistoricalbackgroundofthe18thcentury(SeeChangYaoxin,97-98)Athome:Abroad:Constitutionalmonarchy,theauthoritativepowerfellintothehandsofparliament,whichleadstoaspeedydevelopmentIneconomy,theindustrialrevolutionforceitswayintoEngland.Enclosureoflandsweptonanunexampledscaleoverthewholecountry.Consequently,thelandlord,thecapitalistandthelikewereenrichedwithenormousprofits,whilethousandsofpeasantswereexpropriatedofftheland.Inpolitics,thereappearedtwohostileparties:theliberalWhigsandTories.Besides,therewasathirdparty—Jacobins,thesupporterofJamesII,aimingtobringtheStuartsbacktothethrone.Sociallifewasneverasithadbeenbefore.backThedevelopmentofEnglishcapitalismwasalsowitnessedintherapidlyincreasingcolonialexpansion.VictoriesofwarsincreasedthelandsofBritishEmpireanditscommercialexpansioniseverywherethroughouttheworld.ThentherecametheoutbreakofAmericanRevolutionin1776,andtheFrenchRevolutionin1789,whichwithLiberty,EqualityandFraternityasitswatchwords,awoketheoppressedpeopleaswellasthepoor,andinspiredthemtostriveforanidealsociety.Thus,therearosetheEnlightenmentbothinEnglandandinotherlandsinWesternEuropeinthe18thcentury.Enlightenmentisaprogressiveintellectualmovement,theexpressionofstruggleoftheprogressivebourgeoisieagainstfeudalism.TheEnlightenersfoughtagainstclassinequality,stagnation,prejudiceandothersurvivalsoffeudalism.Theywelcomereligiousintolerance,fiercelyattackthechurchpower,calledonthedevelopmentofscienceandtechnologyandfreedomofpoliticsandacademicthinking,havingthegreatestesteemforreasonwhichtheybelieved,shouldbetheonlybasisofone’sthinkingandaction.ThepeoplewhogreatlyexertedinfluenceupontheenlightenmentareJohnLocke,Newton(inEngland)Voltaire,Rousseau,Montesquieu(inFrance).1.2LiteratureoftheperiodGenerallyspeaking,theliteratureofthiscenturymaybedividedintothreeperiodsaccordingtothedevelopmentoftheEnlightenmentfromitsearlystagetoitseventualcrisis.Thefirstperiod(1700-1745):neoclassicismThesecondperiod(1740’s-1750’s):theoriginalofrealisticnovelThethirdperiod:sentimentalismandpre-romanticismItcoversthefirst4decades,andischaracterizedbyneo-classicismanditsfineexpressionisinpoetryandtheninprose-periodicals.TherepresentativesareJosephAddition,RichardSteel,andPope.Thepoetryofthisperiodischieflyaliteratureofwit,concernedwithcivilization,withmaninhissocialrelationshipsandconsequentlyitiscriticalandinsomedegreemoralandsatirical.Themajorformofpoetryisheroiccouplet.Thefirsttwodecadesofthe18thc.sawthatEnglishperiodicalsweremushrooming.InthefieldofPeriodicals,DanielDefoeeditedandpublishedthefirstEnglishperiodical“TheReview”in1704-1713.AfewyearslatertherecameAdditionandSteel,whosemasterlyeditorshipof“TheTattler”and“TheSpectator”madethemwell-knownastwoessayistsandcoauthors.backThesecondperiodreferstotheyearfrom1740’sto1750’s,whichsawtheearlygrowthofrealisticnovels.ThenovelistsinthisperiodarechieflyDanielDefoe,Swift,SamuelRichardson,HenryFielding,TobiasSmollettandtheirsuccessorsinthelastdecadesofthecentury,suchasLawrenceSterneandOliverGoldsmith.backThe3rdrunsthroughtherestdecadesofthecentury,inwhichthedeclineofthegreatenlightenmentbroughtaboutsentimentalism(ThomasGray,OliverGoldsmith,LaurenceSterne,SamuelRichardson)andpre-romanticism(WilliamBlakeandRobertBurns)asprotestsagainstthesocialrealityoftheday.back2.1TheworksofSwift’sBickerstaffAlmanacTheBattleoftheBooksTheTaleofaTubTheJournaltoStellaDrapier’sLettersGulliver’sTravelsAModestProposal2.2Gulliver’sTravels●Thestory:◆ItrecordsthepretendedfourvoyagesofoneLempelGulliver,andhisadventuresinfourastoundingcountries.ThefirstbooktellsofhisvoyageandshipwreckinLilliput.Suchasthestatesmenobtainplaceandfavorbycuttingmonkeycapersonthetightropebeforetheirsovereign,andthetwogreatparties,thelittleendiansandbigendianswhoplungethecountryintocivilwaroverthemomentousquestionofwhetheraneggshouldbebrokenonitsbigoritslittleend,aresatiresonthepoliticsofSwift’sowndayandgeneration.ThesecondvoyageisaboutGulliver’sadventureinBrobdingnag.Themeannessofhumanityseemsallthemoredetestableinviewofthegreatnessofthesesuperiorbeings.Inthethirdvoyage,GullivercontinueshisadventuresinLaputa,andthisisasatireuponallthescientistsandphilosophers.InthelastadventuresGullivercametoaplacewhereinhabitantsarethosewisehorses,whilethecreaturesinhumanbeingsarethosecorruptedrace,avarice,degeneratedandmean.◆InthefirstthreevoyagesSwift’spurposeistostripofftheveilofhabitandcustom,withwhichmendeceivethemselves,andshowthecrudevicesofhumanityasSwiftfanciesheseesthem.InthefourthvoyagethemercilesssatireiscarriedouttoitslogicalconclusionwhichbringsustothegreatperplexatSwift’srealintensionincreatingthesuperiorandintelligenthorsesastherulinganimal,whiletheYahoo,afrightfulrace,havingtheformandappearanceofmen,li